Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-12
NEW HELyETIA CEMETERY.
Finely Kept Suggestive Thoughts
Musings In a Grave Yard.


visit TO a cemetery at any time is full
of interest it awakens thoughts respecting
those whose remains lie moldering in the
dust, an occasional familiar name confronts
MS chiseled on a marble slab or roughly
painted on a redwood board The once
active individual, who was laid away with
many tears, we see in our memory when
they were as agile, as full of hope and
promise OF as many years as are we. 1t
awakens feeling of awe and respect for
our Maker that is irrepressible, one that is ex-
perienced nowhere else with that force and
appeal to our better nature and reverence
for the Creator. We are in the city of the
dead. Here it is that we look upon for the
last time our loved ones; here you, too,
must soon be planted; here is where all
must lie down in that last long sleep until
the morning of the resurrection. Here is
city that grows in population with unerr-
ing regularity. From this abode there is
no emigration people of all ages, whole
families, communities, and in the course
of time the entire population of nations
and the world are laid away by those who,
in their turn, must follow them. These
thoughts crowd through ones brain, causes
US to think how insignificant is man,
how short is life, a mere drop in the ocean,
speck of sand in the glass of Father Time,
mere one-day's setting of the sun as COM
pared to the countless ages since creation.
While we are contemplating the sad
memories of the past and specializing upon
the probabilities OF the future, our
thoughts are turned to the living those
who have lost their companions, friends
and relatives, and who exhibit their re-
gard, affection and love by unmistakable
tokens. Here is grave inclosed with
brick, sodded to blue grass, set out to roses,
over which is erected a marble slab with
the simple inscription Mother" The
passer-by pauses and reflects. Somebody's
mother. The word mother is the most ex-
pressive in the English language. 1t en-
bodies more love, devotion, affection than
any other. 1t creates the same impression
upon every human mind-on earth an an
gel, an angel in heaven. A visit through
Helyetia Cemetery the other day disclosed
the fact that in Sacramento at least the
memory of the departed are held dear By
the living, for better kept burial place for
the dead cannot be found in the State.
Nicholas Mohns, the gentleman in charge,
has had long experience in the business, is
the right man in the right place, and lots
lett to his care are ever presentable-the
grass, shrubs and Towering plants kept
green, growing and blooming The entire
cemetery has had complete cleaning up.
Trees that had grown to such gigantic pro-
portions as to be undesirable and to detract
from the beauty of the place, Lave been
culled out, the weeds all moved down, the
driveways rounded up, and even the pau
pers' field has been SO thoroughly put in
order that their graves can be easily distin-
guished, and the rude boards and inscrip-
tons in many cases renewed. The Hebrew
Cemetery, short distance from the New
Helyetia, was also visited. This is small
Enclosure containing a neat chapel. The
graves are neatly kept; every grave in the
cemetery is nicely bricked in, and nearly
all, if not all, the graves are marked with
marble slabs. This cemetery also is under
the management of Mr.. Mohns, who prides
himself upon keeping everything scrupu-
lousy neat.